Norway at the 2004 Summer Olympics


Norway competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's twenty-fourth appearance at the Summer Olympics, except for the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, due to the country's support of the United States boycott. With the absence of women's football and handball teams, Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports sent the nation's smallest delegation to the Games since the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. A total of 53 athletes, 36 men and 17 women, competed only in 12 different sports. There was only a single competitor in badminton, swimming, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling.
Sixteen athletes from the Norwegian team had previously competed in Sydney, including Olympic silver medalists Kjersti Plätzer in women's race walk and Olaf Tufte in men's single sculls. At age 51, rifle shooting veteran Harald Stenvaag became the second Norwegian in Summer Olympic history to participate in six Games, tying a record set by sailor Magnus Konow. He was appointed by the National Olympic Committee to carry the Norwegian flag in the opening ceremony. Other notable Norwegian athletes featured kayak pair and world champions Nils Olav Fjeldheim and Eirik Verås Larsen, yachting siblings Christoffer and Siren Sundby, and breaststroke swimmer Alexander Dale Oen, the youngest of the team at age 19.
Despite fielding its smallest team since 1968, Norway left Athens with a remarkable tally of six medals, five golds and one bronze. As a result, the Games were considered the nation's most successful Summer Olympics since 1920.

Medalists

MedalNameSportEventDate
RowingMen's single sculls
SailingEurope class
CanoeingMen's K-1 1000 m
CyclingWomen's cross-country
AthleticsMen's javelin throw

CanoeingMen's K-2 1000 m

Athletics

Norwegian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events.
;Men
;Track & road events
;Field events
;Combined events – Decathlon
AthleteEvent100 m400 m1500 mFinalRank
Hans Olav UldalResult11.236.9913.531.8550.9515.0943.014.5060.004:41.70749527
Hans Olav UldalPoints810811700670771839726760738670749527

;Women
;Track & road events

Badminton

Canoeing

Sprint

Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify to final; q = Qualify to semifinal

Cycling

Road

;Men
;Women
AthleteEventTimeRank
Lene BybergRoad race3:33:3548
Linn TorpRoad race3:40:4353
Anita ValenRoad race3:25:4214
Anita ValenTime trial34:31.9422

Mountain biking

Rowing

Norwegian rowers qualified the following boats:
;Men
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A ; FB=Final B ; FC=Final C ; FD=Final D ; FE=Final E ; FF=Final F ; SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; R=Repechage

Sailing

Norwegian sailors have qualified one boat for each of the following events.
;Women
;Open
M = Medal race; OCS = On course side of the starting line; DSQ = Disqualified; DNF = Did not finish; DNS= Did not start; RDG = Redress given

Shooting

Five Norwegian shooters qualified to compete in the following events:
;Men

Swimming

Norwegian swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events :
;Men

Taekwondo

Norway has qualified a single taekwondo jin.

Volleyball

Beach

Weightlifting

Norway has qualified a single weightlifter.

Wrestling

;Men's Greco-Roman